Telegraph-key.



J. A. HULIT.

TELEGRAPH KEY. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 26,

Inventor J. A. HULIT. TELEGRAPH KEY.

APPLIOAT ION FILED MAR. 26, 1908.

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fm enfar" Patented Aug. 24, 1909.

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UNITE snares JOHN A. HULIT, OF TOPEKA, KANSAS, ASSIGNOR T0 J. A. ROSEN,

0F TOPEKA, KANSAS.

TELEGRAPH-KEY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 2c, 1908.

Patented Aug. 24:, 1909. Serial No. 423,291.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN A. I-IULIT, a citizen of the United States, residing at T0- peka, in the county of Shawnee and State of Kansas, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Telegrapli-Keys, of which the following is a specification.

, My invention is a telegraph key adapted to be attached to the frame of a typewriter adjacent to the typewriter key-board. It can be used generally for telegraphing just as other telegraph keys are used. Its more specific purpose is to provide a telegraph key adjacent to the typewriter key-board to make easy the breaking by the receiving operator who is receiving on the typewriter, for which reason I would call my invention a break key. The usefulness of my break key arises from the fact that the ordinary deskv key is removed. from the operator, so that, when the receiving operator wishes. to break he. must; reach some distance to. get at his desk key. It is often the case that on account of light, the arrangement of the desks and office furniture, etc, the operator must place his typewriter at some considerable distance from the desk key, or must have the key at his left, or in some other inconvenient relative position. In any event, however, in all cases, he must reach out for the key, which adds. to the discomfiture of breaking. My invention is. intended to re have the operator of reaching out for thekey. My break key is adjacent to the typewriter key-board so that the receiving operator can break, whenever necessary, withou reaching out. and almost without removing his hands from, the key board, certainly without changing the positions of his arms or body, thusfacilitating quill: ing whenever it is necessary to break, at all.

My invention consists of a telegraph key, a switch associated therewith, a clamp for securing thekey and clamp to the typewriter frame adjacent to the key-board, and a flexible cord and a wedge for electrically connecting the key and switch with the line or with the regular desk key.

It further consists of the parts, improvements, and combinations hereinafter pointed out and claimed.

In the drawings accompanying and forming part: of this specification and in the description thereof, I have shown my invention in its preferredforlns and have shown and intelligent breakthe best mode of applying the principles thereof. It is to be understood, however, that my invention is not confined to the details of that drawing and description, and that, within the scope of the appended claims, I contemplate changes in form, proportions, and materials, the transposition of parts, and the substitution of equivalent members, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Figure. l is a side elevation of a telegraph key made, in accordance with the principles of my invention, with the cord and wedge attached. Fig. 2 is an end view, the near end being shown in section on a plane through the line 2 of Figs. 1 and 4.. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view taken on a plane through the line 3 of Figs. 2 and 4. Fig. l is a top plan view. Figs. 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 illustrate a modified form of embodying the principles of my invention. Fig. 5is' a side elevation- Fig. 6 is, a vertical lon itudinal, center sectional view. Fig. Tisa p any view. Fig. 8 is an elevation of the side opposite to that shown in Fig. Fig. 9 is an end view, the near end, however, being shown in section on a plane through the line 9 of Figs. 5 and 6. Fig. 10 is a sectional view of the key-knob.

Similar reference characters indicate like or corresponding parts throughout the sev eral views.

1 is a base made of any suitable material, preferably in the construction shown in the drawings of insulating material, such as fiber or hard rubber. 2 is a plate secured to the side. of said base, and 3 is a plate secured to the other side of the base and extending fan ther down and turned inwardly, as at a l, and having a set-sc-rew 5. These parts comprise a suitable means for clamping the key to the typewriter frame 27.

6 is a metal strip secured means of screws 7 and 8.

9 is a spring key-lever mounted on a block of insulation 10, which is secured by means of a screw 11, a metal washer l2, and a metal plate 13, the threads of the screw engaging threads in the plate 13, and its head being countersunk, as indicated in Fig. 8.

lat is the knob or button by which the lever is operated to close and open the circuit through the contacts 15 in the usual manner.

16 is a screw set in the base the head of whichflimits the upward movement of the a key to the base by key-lever; this screw also serves as a means for adjusting the stroke of the key-lever. Its uppermost threads may be cut away to permit the spring to move freely without danger of getting caught on the threads.

17 is another block of insulating material on which is mounted the end of the plate 13, these parts being secured by means of a screw 18.

19 is a pivot screw by which the switchlever 20 is secured to the plate 13, said lever being provided with an operating knob or button 21 at one end, its other end being formed to pass freely over the screw 18 and to contact with the plate 6, as indicated by the numeral 22.

23 is a stud or pin set in the plate 13, and 2 1 is a hole or slot through which said pin extends, these parts limiting the movement of the switch-lever.

25 is a cord of any suitable kind compri ing the two insulated wires connected with the screws 7 and 18, respectively, and with the wedge 26 which is adapted to he slipped into the regular desk key for shunting the circuit through the break key. The cord may be of any suitable length.

As indicated in Fig. 3, the plate 6 is cut away around the screws 7, 18, and 16, so that there will be no direct electrical'connection between any of these screws and the plate 6, and the screws are cut of such length that they will noteXtend entirely through the base, thus preventing electrical connection with the typewriter frame.

It is a feature of my invention that the switch is located above the key-lever with its operating knob close to and slightly projecting above the operating button, as this arrangement permits the operator quickly to open the line by the same movement by which. he changes his hand or fingers from the typewriter keys to the telegraph key, and similarly when he again closes the line the movement of the switch is in the opposite direction, thus permitting the opening and closing of the circuit by the switch by a minimum effort and maximum facility. Normally, the switch being closed, the circuit passes through screw 7, plate 6, lever 20, plate 13, and screw 18. When the switch is shifted, the circuit passes through screw 7, plate 6, contacts 15, lever 9, washer 12, plate 13, and screw 18. The position of the switch in shifted position is shown by the dotted outline in Fig. l. It is also to be noted that the key and switch are entirely insulated from the typewriter frame, thus eliminating the danger of a schock.

Referring to Figs. 5 to 9: here I also employ the base 1, and the clamping members 3, l, and 5, the side plate 2 being of fiber. The spring key-lever is mounted on a lug or thick washer 31, and secured to the base by the screw 7. The plate 6 is secured to the base by means of the screw 30 and the screw 8. Secured to the side is an L-shaped lever 33, pivoted by screw 32, the operating portion of the lever extending upwardly and being provided with a knob 34 which projects across the key-lever and immediately forward of the key-lever knob l l. The other arm of the lever, 35, extends forward so as to be normally clear, as shown in the full lines of the drawings, and being adapted, by the operation of the knob 34, to be raised up under the leaf 36 and over the head of the screw 37, which latter is electrically connected with the plate 6 by any suitable means as by a wire 50. Holes 38, 38 are made through the base adjacent to the screws 7 and 8, and the two wires of the cord 25 are inserted therein and pressed tightly against the threads of said screws by means of set-screws 39, 39. And preferably the cord is inserted from the side carrying the plate 3, so as not to project from the outer side of the typewriter frame.

In order to make the key as small and compact as possible I use the contacts shown in Figs. 6 and 10. Thus a round-headed screw 40 is used for securing the knob let to the spring 9, and after being secured in place, the screw-head may be filed down fiat, a hole drilled therein, and a piece of platinum ell inserted in the hole. The same plan may be followed in making the lower contact by thus using the screw 8.

What I claim is:

1. A device of the kind described comprising a telegraph key, a switch associated therewith, a clamp for securing the key and switch to the typewriter frame adjacent to the typewriter key-board, and a flexible cord for electrically connecting the key and switch with the telegraph circuit.

2. A device of the kind described comprising a base, a telegraph key and a switch mounted thereon, a clamp for detachably securing the base to a typewriter frame adjacent to the typewriter key-board, and a flexible cord and a wedge for electrically connecting said device with the telegraph circuit.

3. A device of the kind described comprising a base, a clamp for securing the base to a typewriter frame adjacent to the key-board of the typewriter, a telegraph key mounted on the base and having a lever and an operating button, a switch having an operating button located above the lever and close to the button on said lever, and a flexible cord and a wedge for electrically connecting said key and switch with the telegraph circuit.

l. A device of the kind described com prising the combination of a telegraph key, a switch associated therewith, a clamp insulated from the key and switch for securing the same to a typewriter frame adjacent to the key-board, and a flexible cord and a wedge for electrically connecting said device with the telegraph circuit.

5. A device of the kind described comprising the combination of a telegraph key, a switch associated therewith, a clamp insulated from the key and switch for securing the same to a typewriter frame adjacent to the key-board, and a flexible cord and a wedge for electrically connecting said device with a desk key.

6. In a device of the kind described, the combination of a base, a contact, a screw screwed into the base for securing the contact thereon, a key-lever, a screw screwed into the base for securing the key-lever thereon, a contact and an operating knob carried by the key-lever, and a switch mounted on said base and electrically connected with said screws; said base having openings adjacent to said screws; conductors inserted in said openings, and setscrews screwed into the base at substantially right angles to the first-mentioned screws for pressing said conductors against said first-mentioned screws, respectively; substantially as set forth.

7. In a device of the kind described, the combination of a base, a telegraph key and a switch mounted thereon, a flexible cord and a wedge connected with said key and switch for detachably coimecting the same with a telegraph circuit, and a clamp comprising an arm secured to the base and a set-screw in the arm, for detachably screwing the device to a typewriter frame; substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of witnesses.

- JOHN A. HULIT. Witnesses C. J. RosEN, J. O. DILL. 

